In recent years, among the pesticides used to control aphids, thrips and other sucking mouthparts pests, spirotetramat is often mentioned. So today we will talk about spirotetramat and how to use it to achieve the ideal control effect?
1. Product features
Spirattramat belongs to the new class of quaternary acid derivative insecticides. It mainly uses gastric poison, supplemented by contact poison, and can be used to control aphids, thrips, whiteflies, scale insects, stink bugs and other piercing-sucking mouthparts and other pests.
It can be used to control tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, watermelons, potatoes, soybeans, cotton, grapes, citrus and other crops. It is effective on adults, larvae, nymphs and eggs. It has the characteristics of broad insecticidal spectrum, killing both eggs and insects, long duration of effect, two-way systemic absorption and strong selectivity.
2. Mechanism of action
The mechanism of action of spirotetramat is to inhibit the synthesis of fat by inhibiting the biosynthesis process of fat in the body of pests, blocking the normal energy metabolism of pests, and ultimately leading to the death of pests. The specific process is that when the medicinal liquid is sprayed on the surface of the crop stems and leaves, after being absorbed by the stems and leaves, the medicinal liquid will be bidirectionally transmitted to all parts of the plant through the phloem and xylem of the crop.
Therefore, even if the pests are hidden in the curled leaves, flowers, or fruit tree bark, as long as the pests feed and suck the sap of the crops, they will cause poisoning. It can comprehensively kill crop surface and hidden pests, and also protect new leaves, flowers and fruits after spraying.
According to the above mechanism of action, spirotetramat is definitely a magical insecticide product, and it will not have unsatisfactory control effects. However, in actual use, there are indeed many cases where insects are killed slowly and insecticides are not completely killed. What is going on?
3. Cause analysis
(1) Dead insects are slow. Spirattramat is mainly stomach poisoning and supplemented by contact poisoning. That is to say, only when the pests absorb the plant juice containing the agent can spirotetramat be effective. From spraying the pesticide, to transmitting the liquid within the plant, and then to the pests sucking it up, this process will definitely take more time than "spraying the liquid directly onto the surface of the pests to take effect (contact killing)".
If the pesticide is not sprayed evenly enough and is far away from the feeding areas of pests, it will take longer for the pesticide to be transmitted to these parts.
(2) Insecticide is not thorough. Spiratretate is a lipid biosynthesis inhibitor and is therefore particularly effective for larvae that are rapidly growing. For adult insects whose bodies are close to being "formed" and whose lipid biosynthetic activity is relatively weak, the control effect is somewhat insufficient. This is also the main reason why many farmers report that insecticide is not complete.
At the same time, the egg-killing performance of spirotetramat is also somewhat limited. The reason is also simple, because the eggs definitely do not actively stimulate and feed, so they can only work when they are sprayed with the liquid. Sprayed eggs usually cannot hatch normally, thus killing the eggs.
Fortunately, the duration of effect of spirotetramat is relatively long. Even if some eggs that are not sprayed hatch, they will still be eliminated as soon as they start feeding. But there will always be "eggs" that slip through the net, and it is impossible to completely and completely kill them.
In addition, with the continuous use in recent years, resistance problems of varying degrees have appeared in many places, and the control effect has also been greatly reduced.
4. How to improve prevention and control effects
(1) The timing of medication is key, use "morning" instead of "late". When pests are discovered in the field, pesticides must be applied promptly before the pests are in the larval stage and before they become adults. Only in this way can it be possible to "clear out" the pests more thoroughly. Once the pests reach the adult stage, the control effect will no longer be so ideal.
(2) Whether the medicinal solution can be quickly and fully absorbed by the crops is an important part of whether spirotetramat can effectively control pests. Therefore, when using, the spraying should be as uniform as possible. For some crops with a waxy layer on the surface that is not easy to absorb the liquid, it is best to add silicone or professional additives to promote the spread and penetration of the liquid so that it can be quickly absorbed by the crops.
(3) Prevent and control pests more thoroughly through the compounding or mixing of pesticides. Mixing and compounding with contact pesticides can improve the quick-acting effect of insecticide. Mixing and compounding with pesticides with different mechanisms of action can slow down the development of pesticide resistance in pests. Common ones include the compounding and mixing of spirotetramat with abamectin, pymetrozine, chlorpyrifos, imidacloprid, dinotefuran, thiacloprid, buprofen, etc.
At the same time, spirotetramat can be mixed with fungicides, regulators, foliar fertilizers, etc. to simultaneously prevent and control insect pests and diseases, improve crop function, and increase yields.
